Approaches in Scaling Small-Scale Experiments on the Breaking Wave Interactions with a Vertical Wall Attached with Recurved Parapets

Abstract

The breaking wave interactions on a vertical wall with three different recurved parapets were examined in two different scales (1:1 and 1:8) to study the scale effects. A similar testing condition with that of the large scale was adopted to identify a method for scaling up the small-scale laboratory measurements that involve impact pressure or forces. In the present study, two approaches for scaling up the small-scale studies, namely the Froude and Cuomo methods are adopted. By comparing the scaled-up results from small-scale studies with large-scale studies using the two approaches, a combined approach was suggested to estimate the force by integrating the pressure. In the proposed approach (named Cuomo–Froude method), the Cuomo method was adopted in the impact zone, and the Froude method was adopted in the nonimpact region for upscaling the small-scale experiments. The proposed approach shows a reasonable comparison with large results for pulsating and impulsive breaking conditions with a vertical wall having a different exit angle. Finally, the paper concludes that the pressure impulse follows the same scale for wave impacts as pressure.